Stabbingtons
by Inklandscape
Summary: The Stabbington brothers are free again and have many adventures ahead. In the middle of a war, will they go back to their former life as thieves? Or will they redeem themselves and help the princess they once tried to capture? They may even find love...
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

They had nothing to do. There was nothing left to do except waiting. After all those years, the Stabbington brothers had been caught. One of them, sat on the dusty floor of the cell, looked up to his brother's eye and sighed. So, this is how it ended. Not rich, not even free. The only thing they had ahead was death. He unconsciously put his hand on his neck, nervous.

The door at the end of the corridor opened. Something told them it was time. But when they looked up, they saw someone they didn't expect to see anymore: a man once they knew as Flynn Rider.

"Here they are," said the captain of the guard, who had come in behind him.

Rider looked down to them with grudge in his eyes.

"The king already gave the order for them to be hanged".

"I had a word with the king," Rider said, without talking his eyes off the twins.

"I know. He told me you might speak on their behalf".

The two prisoners looked up again, surprised and skeptic. After what they had done to him, there was no way Rider helped them.

"No," he firmly answered, but then he hesitated. "You said they'd be hanged?"

"Yes. You disagree?"

"Doesn't matter. I have not authority to revoke the sentence".

"A personal friend of the princess? You and I know you could, if you wanted".

Rider started walking to and fro. The Stabbingtons followed his every movement but they wouldn't dare to say a word. Finally Rider said:

"Most of the crimes they are condemned for, I have committed too; many of them, together".

"You don't have to tell me," the captain rolled his eyes.

"It's also understandable they tried to take revenge. After all, I did betray them," he shrugged his shoulders. "But they tried to take Rapunzel" his tone change as he pierced them with a fierce look. "That I will not forget".

"So… Will you let them be executed?"

The seconds he took before answering lasted an eternity for the brothers. They were holding their breath and looking at him.

"No," Rider finally answered.

"I doubt the king agreed to set them free".

"I don't wanna them free. They do belong locked up… but not dead".


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

It was yet another beautiful day in the kingdom of Corona. Rapunzel and Eugene were standing at the entrance, waiting. A rich man dressed in the finest clothes walked upstairs toward them, and a young girl followed him; she smiled when she saw the princess.

"Your highness, Mr. Fitzherbert" the man bowed.

"Welcome, Mr. Fogelman," she smiled. "It's so good to see you, Daimhin!"

"It's good to see you too!"

The two girls forgot all the protocol and hugged. Daimhin was not a noblewoman; Mr. Fogelman, her father, was a rich merchant whose fortune had gain him power and a good name. For several years he had supplied the castle and its inhabitants with everything they needed, from luxurious fabrics to salt and spices. Rapunzel had met her a year ago and they had become friends. Today, Fogleman and her daughter had arrived with a ship full many different products from all over the world.

"So, how have you two, lovebirds, been?" Daimhin asked as they went inside the castle.

"Not bad," Eugene smiled.

"What about you?" Rapunzel said. "No boyfriend yet?"

"Oh, please, let's not talk about…"

"She's been avoiding the subject," Mr. Fogelman intervened.

"I wouldn't if my father would stop insisting so much on find me a husband of noble birth"

"I do what's best for you"

"You do what you think it's best for me"

"You're right. Let's not talk about it," Fogelman snapped. "If you excuse me, your highness, Mr. Fitzherbert, I have to meet with the castle's governor"

He bowed and left.

"He's been like this for weeks now," Daimhin rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry," Rapunzel laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You will find someone you'll like and then he will not be able to say a thing".

"She's right," Eugene nodded. "Look at us".

"If you say so"

The three of them had tea in a balcony; the sky was sunny and the wind was refreshing. From there they saw the docks, and beyond, the splendid blue sea extended to the horizon. They were catching up, talking about the trips Daimhin had been doing with her father and about the great life Rapunzel and Eugene had there in Corona.

Suddenly, something like a thunder sounded very near. They jumped up, alarmed and hear screaming. Eugene looked down the balcony in the precise moment than another explosion sounded even nearer.

"What's going on!" Rapunzel cried.

"Inside!" Eugene told them. "Go back inside!"

"What is it? Eugene?"

"They're attacking the castle," he said as they ran down the corridor.

"What! But… who?"

"I don't know, but we gotta hide"

"They'll never make it inside the castle," Daimhin said.

In that moment they heard a crack: the front door. They heard the metal of the guards' swords clashing with the enemies', while the maidens run to hide, screaming.

"My parents!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"They must be downstairs, at the throne hall. Come on!"

The chaos was everywhere. It was amazing how everything had turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Outside the cannon shots had not ceased, and armed men had managed to defeat almost the whole royal guard and entered the castle. They were looking for something. Rapunzel, Daimhin and Eugene hurried downstairs, but in the way they ran into two of the invaders.

"Step back!" Eugene ordered them and pulled of his dagger. It was a shame he was not carrying a sword; but then again, they were just having tea a moment ago.

He defeated them easily, but he knew it wouldn't be that way if they came in bigger groups.

"Who are they? Why there are so many?" Rapunzel said.

"They've brought two ships with cannons, as far as I saw" Eugene said.

They opened a side door to the hall, but it was empty, except for two of those thugs that were stealing the jewels inlaid on the king and queen's thrones.

"What now?" Daimhin murmured.

"Hey! There!" a man's voice made them turn around.

"Damn!" Eugene pulled out the dagger again. "Run!"

For Rapunzel, it felt so ridiculous to be chased inside her own castle. Luckily she and Eugene knew all the ways and passages, so when it seemed they have cornered, they found a way out. What worried them most was that now there were about fifteen armed men after them. If only they had frying pans, Eugene thought. They came running to the bottom of a corridor; form there a door leaded downstairs to the dungeons, and another to the kitchen. But when they were about to take the second one, they heard more steps coming toward them from there. They had no other choice.

"Come on, hurry!"

They closed the door behind them. They thought the dungeons would still in order, since those men hadn't came down that way yet. But they found out soon they were wrong. The cannonballs had hit the walls and broken holes in the cells, letting most of the prisoners escape, and killing the rest. But right now, that was the last of their problems.

"We can get to the stables," Eugene said.

"Rider!" a deep voice yelled from inside a cell. "Rider, please! Let us out"

Eugene stopped and looked at them, his arms crossed. The two identical men started at him, desperate. Rapunzel, over Eugene's shoulder, gave them a look of resentfulness.

"Why should I?" Eugene asked.

"We're gonna get kill. Come on!"

"Sorry, boys. You are in there for a reason," he stated and walked away.

"Rider!"

"Who are they?" Daimhin asked.

"No one," Rapunzel answered coldly.

They hadn't taken another step when another shot hit the wall precisely at the Stabbington brother's cell. Pieces of brick and metal flew all around.

"Watch out!" Eugene hugged Rapunzel and pulled Daimhin down by the wrist. When the dust had lifted, they saw one of the twins helping the other to get out of the rubble. Eugene raised his dagger.

"Don't be stupid, Rider," the man said, coughing. "We gotta get out of here".

Eugene nodded and sheathed his weapon. They were unarmed, anyway. Another cannons shot reminded them they were in a hurry. The twins and the two girls followed Eugene out of the dungeons.

"What is this! A war?" one of the twins asked as they ran up a narrowed corridor.

"Corona is not at war with anyone," Rapunzel stated.

"Tell them that"

They finally saw the daylight as they came out to a yard. There were invaders, dangerous-looking and armed to the teeth, all over the place. But when they were staring to think about coming back inside, they heard steps at their backs and a man's voice echoing in some corridor:

"The princess. That's the princess, I saw her somewhere. Get her!"

"What do we do!" Rapunzel panicked.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…" Eugene murmured. "Ok, Wilhelm… I can't believe I'm doing this," he sighed. "Wilhelm, take the girls to the stables. Jakob and I will hold them enough"

"No, Eugene!"

"We'll meet you there, Rapunzel"

"Come with us, let them hold them"

"I can't trust they'll actually do it"

"There they are!" the voice sounded nearer and nearer.

"No time to argue! Go!"

The twin with a patch on the eye indicated the women to follow. They run and hid behind an enormous pile of hay. They could hear Eugene and Jakob fighting. Wilhelm turned to see the girls and made some hand movements, as if trying to say something.

"What?"

He signaled insistently.

"What, he doesn't talk?" Daimhin asked.

"I think he's mute," Rapunzel said. "The stables are over there"

The man pointed at a dumped carriage at one side of the yard, then to a pillar and then to another pile of hay. That was the route they had to follow if they wanted to avoid the enemies.

In the meanwhile, Eugene and the other twin were having real troubles. The fact that the passage was narrowed helped, because they could only attack them three at the time. Jakob, who was fighting unarmed, had already a deep cut in his forearm.

"We can't keep doing this forever," Eugene said. "We'll have to make a run for it"

They finished the men they had in front of them and run out. But as expected, they soon found themselves surrounded by enemies.

"Now what?" Jakob said.

A whine made Eugene turn and smile. Max was galloping toward them; they were as good as saved. Jakob didn't saw it; he was still alert, he would not take his eyes from those men. Then, he saw one of them tightening a bowstring.

"Rider, watch out!"

In less than a second, the arrow was flying in direction of Eugene's heart.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Everything happened so fast. Jakob tackled Eugene out of the way, making him fall. Then he fell to the ground too, hit by the arrow. Some royal guards, ones of the few left, were now fighting the men, and Maximus had opened his way to Eugene and Jakob.

Even when his first impulse was to abandon him, Eugene knew Jakob had saved his life. He helped up. The arrow had stricken him in the shoulder, only a few inches away from his heart. He was bleeding a lot. Eugene, as fast as he could, helped him get on then horse and he jumped up too. Then Max ran away without turning back.

"To the stables, Max. Rapunzel is at the stables"

But the horse whined and shook his head. He galloped fast to the other side of the castle, entered a tower and went upstairs. He was too fast for the enemies. As soon as they were inside, Eugene hold the door shut with a beam. He knew where they were: the armory, except the invaders had taken most of the weapons. Hidden in a corner, the other twin and the girls looked at them, surprised.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she threw herself to Eugene's arms. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, you?"

"We're fine"

Wilhelm was now helping his brother down the horse. Although he could not speak, his face showed the horror as he saw Jakob was badly hurt.

"What happened?" Daimhin asked.

"He… He saved my life," Eugene said.

"What?"

Wilhelm carefully collocated his brother on the floor and took a look to the wound. The arrow was deep inside his flesh. His shirt was all dried with blood.

"Let me see," Daimhin approached to the man.

_What happened, Rider? _Wilhelm frantically signaled.

"We were surrounded… Someone shoot at me, but he hit me out of the way"

"I think I can pull out the arrow," Daimhin said. "You have to help me stop the blood once it is out"

The man nodded. Jakob opened his eyes.

"What… What's… Wilhelm?" he said weakly.

"Ok, one, two…"

"Aaagh!" Jakob's scream resounded in the whole tower. Wilhelm quickly pressed the wound to stop the bleeding. Daimhin look at the arrow she had in her hand, intrigued.

"Blue feathered," she murmured to herself. "These are rare".

"We gotta find a way out," Eugene said, looking through a window.

"I don't like towers," Rapunzel reminded him. "But what about my parents?"

"We'll search for them later. Look!"

Max and Rapunzel look through the window too. The captain of the guard was fighting his way to the armory. He would not make it, there were too many for him alone.

"Come on, Max, we gotta help him"

"Be careful!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

The door opened and a few minutes later they were back inside. The captain of the guard fell on his knees, panting.

"Princess Rapunzel! Oh, thanks God," he said. "Your parents…"

"You know where they are?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes," he said catching his breath. "Yes, they've escaped. We have to take you to them"

"Great! Come on," Eugene said. "Wilhelm! We have to move on, now"

The captain noticed the twins and Daimhin for the first time. He stood up, alarmed.

"The Stabbingtons!"

"Now's not the moment, captain. Right now they're on our side"

"Captain," Daimhin stood up and walked toward him, "did you saw my father?"

"Your father?"

"Mr. Fogelman"

"Ah, the merchant! Yes. I saw him taking a horse and riding towards the woods"

"He left me," she whispered. "Well… wouldn't be his first time"

Daimhin went back to the twins and finished bandaging Jakob's shoulder; Wilhelm picked him up to put him on Max's back again; the animal whined unpleased but resigned. The captain looked out the window.

"It's clear. Come on!"

"Are you sure?" Eugene doubted.

_They just saw us coming in here, _Wilhelm signaled. _They'll be waiting for us outside. We should wait._

"What is he saying?"

"That we should wait"

"Nonsense! Come on, follow my lead!"

The captain opened the door and took a step out. Nothing. It seemed to be actually clear.

"What did I tell you? Let's go"

"Where to? Where are my parents?"

"They're safe at the…Uuugh!"

An arrow came out of nowhere and pierced the captain right in the heart, killing him instantly.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Rapunzel kneeled by the captain, but it was useless. The others were looking around but there was no sign of the archer. He would have warned the others by now anyway.

_We gotta get out of here, _Wilhelm signed.

"I know," Eugene nodded. "Let's go!"

As soon as they started crossing the bridge that leaded to the woods, they heard the crowd coming after them.

"Run! Come on!"

"They're gonna catch us!"

"No," he said. "The Duckling"

"What?"

"The secret passage to the Duckling. They'll never find us there. Let's go, quick!"

They ran for their lives. The invaders chase their steps all over the woods and they would have caught them no doubt if they hadn't found the entrance at the tree.

"Max won't fit," Rapunzel noticed.

"You'll have to go all the way around, boy" Eugene said, patting the horse's head. "We'll meet you at the tavern, ok?"

The animal whined and nodded. Wilhelm carried his brother, who was unconscious. The five of them quickly slide inside the tunnel. After a while of walking they came to a dead end. They stopped there, too tired to do anything.

"What is this? I thought this leaded to the Duckling"

_This is where Jakob and I came out when you almost had us drowned, _Wilhelm said. _It seems the tunnel collapsed after that. _

"Why didn't you tell us!"

_I didn't know, you…!_

"Ok!" Rapunzel interrupted them, "That doesn't matter anymore! What are we going to do?"

"We can hide. Come out late at night when they have stopped looking for us. Then we'll go to the Duckling by the long way. They'll help us there"

They sat down and laid their backs against the tunnel's wall. Daimhim approached to Jakob again and checked his wound. It was not bleeding anymore, but it seemed bad. She touched his forehead; he was running a fever, which meant the wound was infected already. Wilhelm watched, anxious. Daimhin turned to see him surprised.

"You're twins! I hadn't noticed"

_Of course we're twins! Please! _

"I forgot," Eugene said not very enthusiastically. "Daimhin, this is Wilhelm Stabbington and his brother Jakob"

"Daimhin Fogelman," she introduced herself.

They stayed there for hours, but for them they felt like days. Jakob was growing weaker and weaker. Eugene went to check and came back.

"I think it's safe now. I guess it's around midnight".

They stood up and walked back to finally get outside. The woods were cold and very dark; it was new moon. They solved they would camp there for the night and head for the pub before first light. Eugene started a nice fire and they all sat around it. Daimhin was cleaning Jakob's wound; she had his head lying down on her knee. Wilhelm observed him, desperate.

_He's really bad, _he said. He knew the only one who understood him was Eugene.

"What I don't understand…" he answered, "is why he did that. Why on earth would he save my life?"

"Because…" Jakob said with a fainted voice, "because…"

"He's awake!"

Wilhelm would have liked to talk to his brother, but he could only lay a hand on his arm to let him know he was there.

"Where are we?" he finally opened his eyes and murmured.

"In the woods," Eugene answered.

Jakob looked up to the girl in whose knee he was resting. He saw her bright hazel eyes and a warm smile.

"I'm Daimhin Fogelman," she said as he looked at her, puzzled.

"You pulled the arrow out"

"Yes"

"That hurt like hell"

"Sorry"

"I'm so tired," he closed his eyes again. "By the way, Rider: I did it because you saved our lives first"

"What?"

"We were going to be hanged. The knots were tied. You spoke to the king in our behalf, as you said. Didn't you?"

"Well, yes. I never expected you too… Thank you".

Jakob did not answer. He fell asleep almost immediately. Everybody was in silence. Eugene was holding Rapunzel in his arms; Wilhelm was completely absentminded; Daimhin was examining the arrow she had pull out of Jakob's shoulder. For some reason she had kept it all this time almost unconsciously.

"Blue feathered," she murmured. "You just don't see these everywhere"

Wilhelm turned to see her.

_You know who these men are? _

Eugene translated what he had asked. Daimhin looked at him, at Rapunzel and then at Wilhelm. She shook her head.

"No. It's nothing symbolical about them. It's just it is expensive to dry feathers of this color. My father has sold arrows like this. Actually…" she opened her eyes wide.

"What?"

"He sold some a week before we came here. This man came to see him. He wanted to buy a lot of weapons. I know nothing more because he made me leave them alone"

"Do you think…?" Rapunzel suggested.

"I don't think so. If Father would have known anything about this attack, he would have warned the king, I'm sure"

Suddenly Jakob started coughing. He was not breathing well; he opened his eyes without say anything and then he went unconscious.

"My God," Daimhin murmured. "I don't think he…"

_What?_

"I don't know, but I don't think he survives the night…"

_No! NO! _Wilhelm stood up and walked toward Rapunzel and Eugene, with tears rolling down his cheeks and moving his hands frantically.

_You have to heal him! You have to heal him!_

He grabbed Rapunzel by the arms and started shaking her.

_Heal him! You heal him!_

"Let her go!" Eugene pushed him away. "She cannot heal him! She has not her hair anymore!"

Wilhelm looked at him, then at the princess and then he fell on his knees and started crying silently. Eugene knew that the only thing the Stabbington brothers really cared about was each other.

"We'll take him to the Snuggly Duckling as soon as we can," Rapunzel tried to cheer him up. "Maybe he just needs to rest"

Daimhin fell asleep, she was exhausted. But the rest of them could not even close their eyes. Wilhelm had been crying for hours at his brother's side. Rapunzel and Eugene observed him.

"I never thought I'd see him like this," Eugene murmured. "It really gets to me"

"I have to help him. You know I can," the princess said.

"No! Rapunzel, no one must know you can still heal people"

"But he saved your life. He saved what I treasure most"

"You'd need to cry".

"I'll figure it out, think of something very sad, I guess. But I need you to keep the other away, give me some time"

Eugene stood up and cleared his throat.

"Hey, Stabbington! There's… this plant. Rapunzel thinks it may help to heal your brother. We gotta go find it"

_Plant? What are you talking about? I swear, Rider, if you're mocking me…!_

"I'm not," he said firmly. "You want to save him or not?"

He looked into Eugene's eyes. For once, he seemed to be serious. Wilhelm stood up and nodded.

"We'll be back soon"

Rapunzel waited until their steps could not be heard. Then she kneeled by Jakob Stabbington and star thinking how could she make herself cry.

In the meanwhile, Eugene was pretending to look among the bushes as Wilhelm held the lantern. At times he thought Eugene was just waisting his time, but something told him he should trust him for this once. Besides, what did he have to lose? After a while, they came back to the camp; Eugene was holding some leaves in his hand.

"I'm telling you; this is not basil. It's only… very alike"

Wilhelm stopped, shocked, when he saw his brother sat against a tree, awaken. Across the fireside, Rapunzel lied, pretending to be asleep.

"Oh, look! He's awake! Here," he hurried and placed the leaves over the man's shoulder.

"I feel fine," Jakob murmured and pushed him away.

_Are you sure? But… how?_

"The leaves. It must have been the plant," Eugene stated.

_You're sure you are alright? _Wilhelm took a look under the bandages. His eye opened wide when he found the wound was gone. Completely banished.

"What is it? What do I…? Oh! It can be!"

Wilhelm hugged his brother tight. He thought he would lose him.

"Good you're alright," Eugene said. "Now, excuse me. I'm very tired"

Eugene laid down by Rapunzel and murmured to her ear:

"How did you manage to cry?"

"I only imagined," she whispered back, "what would have happen if that arrow would have hit you"


End file.
